#minor plot point: bo uses sign language so the other generals have roughly learned it as well

[world-of-socks]

Chapter 3- Honey, You’ve Got a Big Storm Coming.

Note: I promise white’s chapter will be coming at some point but her chapters will be secondary to blue and yellows. Anyway, I actually finished another chapter and I’m proud of myself. Oh and just a heads up: if there are grammar or spelling mistakes that’s all my fault lol. Hope you guys enjoy the next chapter!!

(Idea from: @steven-universe-au-prompts )

Yellow could only sit with her thoughts for so long. Once everyone had presumably been asleep for at least an hour, she sat up and discreetly began working on her homeworld reports. She didn’t get much done, however, in fear of being caught she was paranoidly looking up at every small sound. Her eyes would dart to every cot and then to the shadow on the tent opening and then back to the cots and then back to the shadow, over and over until she felt safe. She needed this to work, she would stay for a week, train with them, learn their tactics, learn their plans, and take them down from the inside. It was going to be easy.

It would have been easier to feel safe if she hadn’t had to have this form. She didn’t like it much, it was too small compared to the one she was used to. She had to keep it though, she had to keep up the appearance of a Yellow Tourmaline, she had to fit in.

The sun was coming up, but barely, it was still going to be dark for a while, she observed. She decided it was best to put away her work now and to lie down on her cot. Her eyes wouldn’t close, she didn’t want any surprise attacks. As she sat there she listened closely to the sound of the birds, annoying creatures, the sound of the frogs, also annoying, and the sound of her fellow generals twisting in their slumber. Eventually she heard one move more than the others, she sat up slightly so as to get a better look.

Peach had sat up and held a strange stick that appeared to be smoking. Yellow just assumed it was a piece of human culture that the other had picked up. The pinkish-orange general sat there, despondent, her eye focussed in a place Yellow couldn’t see or understand. It took a moment but eventually the sapphire had realized that Yellow tourmaline was studying her.

She simply gave her a frown and a nod of acknowledgement and went back to staring off into nothing. Yellow turned away and watched as the other generals begin to wake up as well. The emerald, Bear, got up first. She slipped on her boots, tied them, and walked to the front of the tent. She whispered something to Cat’s Eye who appeared to nod and then they left. Bear walked back inside and gently woke up the rest of the generals.

“Time to get up, everyone.” she stated, in an official voice that wasn’t quite a whisper but wasn’t shouting either.

Black opal stretched and sat up on her large cot, come to think of it Yellow hadn’t realized how differently each cot was sized to match its inhabitant. There was no uniformity in this place, how did it even function?

She watched as Opal did some strange movement with her hands in Bear’s direction.

“Yeah, Bismuth’s already down at the forges, she told me last night that she was going to start early.” Bear responded as if Opal had said something, as she spoke she too made weird hand movements, but less confidently, it appeared.

Opal moved her hands again.

“She thought it might be busier today, she also thought that she was a little behind.” Bear responded yet again with the same quality of hand movements.

Yellow didn’t understand what she just witnessed. Was this some secret code, did the fusion have mind reading abilities. She hoped not, but she quickly washed that thought out of her mind when she realized if the opal could read her mind, she would have been shattered already.

Bear frowned, “C’mon everyone, I’m serious we need to be up, now.” her voice was stern, but still unfamiliarly kind.

“I’m up, I’m up.” Ame groaned, stretching, her eyes still half closed, “Jazz. Jazz, get up ya sleepy head.”

Ame poked the large heap beside her in an attempt to wake up the large gem. It only sort of worked. The gem stretched and then was still again.

“Jazz.” Ame barked, now awake, “You great oaf, get up.”

The gem slowly got up, rubbing her eyes, and tiredly got to her feet.

“C’mon, let’s go.” Bear motioned for the rest of the generals to follow her.

They all pushed back the fabric flap of the tent and stepped into the crisp morning air, it was still dark.

“Where are we going?” Yellow murmured, mostly to herself.

“The training grounds.” Ame replied, “We have to get up earlier so we can get to our training. We spend the rest of our day training everyone else, planning, and doing whatever else we can.”

Ame laughed to herself, “It’s an honorable thing, being a general. It ain’t easy though. We have to work harder than anyone else, we have to set an example for every single one of our soldiers.”

Yellow simply nodded and turned away as they walked up a hill, eventually stopping on the large flat surface. The blue white tiles beneath their feet were still being laid in. This was a new base, a new camp.

The group followed Bear to the weapons rack and each of the generals took a weapon. Yellow simply stayed behind, not sure of the routine.

“General’s must be masters of all weapons.” Bear announced, “We train with a new one each morning, we train with our preferred weapon each night when we are finished with the day’s work. What’s your preferred weapon, Yellow?”

“I-...” she trailed off, she had never really wielded weapons before, her powers alone were a weapon, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t?” Peach raised her eyebrow.

“I’m not sure… I-... I’ve always admired the sword.” she walked dreamily to the weapons rack.

A huge broadsword that was almost as tall as she was caught her eye. She lifted it from the rack, it was heavy, but it felt balanced in her hands.

“I think… I think I prefer the sword.” she stammered, quite enamored with the weapon.

“Great.” Peach replied, fed up with the morning, “Now pick a different one ‘cause we’re about to train.”

Yellow bristled, but attempted to keep her calm. She set down the broadsword and picked up a bow. She huffed, her eyes on the ground, she could tell they were looking at her, she joined the group.

“Opal, will you kindly let loose the holo duelists.” Bear said, still doing the strange hand signals.

Black opal nodded and summoned a holographic duelist for each general. Peach was duelling with a ball and chain, Ame a set of dual long blades, Jazz an axe, Bear a set of daggers, and Opal with a strange whip-like blade that hissed through the air like a hot knife through butter.

Yellow faced her holographic opponent, a bow in hand, this was a weapon meant for distance combat, she wasn’t sure how to fight with it in close distance range. Her combatant wielded a spear, also a more of a long distance weapon. Yellow’s eyes darted from corner to corner of the area, a few spires were being built in the corners, maybe if she just…

She took off with lightning speed for one of the spires, her opponent chasing her.

“Running away all ready, ey?” Ame laughed, still viciously fighting her holographic rival, “Aww did you do this to make choosing yer nickname easier.”

Yellow just ran faster to make up for her frustration. She quickly climbed up the tower and made sure she was stable. She drew back the bow, lined up her shot, and…

Clang! Clitter ...clatter...tap.

The arrow hit the tile and clattered to a stop.

She had missed.

She cursed in ancient gem and lined up another shot, the hologram was aiming their spear.

Swish.

Another miss.

She was incredibly frustrated now, she struggled through her anger to try and get off another shot, but the arrow clattered to the ground. She could feel their eyes on her.

The hologram threw its spear. She dodged, it scraped her shoulder.

Yellow hurled herself at the hologram with a frustrated scream. She landed on its shoulders, she reached through its back and ripped out the fake gem. The hologram stumbled backwards evaporating as it went, she crushed the fake gem in her hand, panting. She kicked the glitching dust the holo-soldier left behind and walked briskly away in frustration.

The other generals had poofed their holograms within a few moments, and watched in horror as Yellow tourmaline viciously shattered her opponent. There was a moment when they just looked at eachother, they knew they would have work to do… but this was different. She was pretty far gone in the old gem ways.

“Yellow, wait!” Bear called, “Get back here, General! That’s an order.”

Yellow didn’t stop, there was no hesitation, she didn’t even turn her head. She just stormed away, head full of only frustration.

Bear shot a desperate look at Peach who’s horror had faded from her eye and an empty sarcasm was all that was left. She turned back to look at Ame and found that a shame and fear was still left in her face.

“I-... I pushed ‘er too hard…” she breathed, “Did- did I do this?”

“No… not really.” Jazz replied, “She’s just… she needs some time. We’ve all been there, right, it’s just… different.”

“I-... I’m gonna go talk to ‘er. I need to sort this out.” Ame ran off.

…………

Yellow ran down towards the tent, the only other place she knew. She saw their faces, but she didn’t understand why they looked that way. She did what she was instructed. But she hadn’t. She hadn’t used the bow right, she couldn’t do it, she failed. She looked pathetic and idiotic. What a clod. She ran faster, her face scrunching up.

She pushed through the tent, three unwanted tears scrolled down her cheeks, but she allowed no more to escape. She would show no weakness. She already made a fool of herself, she didn’t need this too.

“AARRRAUGH!!!” she screamed in frustration.

The room smelled like a summer storm, her arm crackled as she aimed a punch into her cot. She blinked. She had to calm herself, she could ruin the entire mission if she wasn’t careful.

The tent fabric was pulled back, a blue light was let through, the morning was still dark, but it was getting lighter.

“‘Ey, Yellow… are ya alright?” Ame stepped into the tent.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” she sniffed, unable to look her fellow general in the eye.

Ame strode over and sat next to her on the cot. Yellow tensed, not used to being this close to another gem. Ame noticed and slid down the cot, sitting a little further away.

“I didn’t mean to push ya like that.” Ame sighed.

There was no response.

“Look, I- I get it. I was like you once. I wanted to prove myself, but everything was so new, ya know. What am I saying….” Ame trailed off.

“I just wanted to say that you have nothing to prove, we all havta start somewhere.” Ame looked at Yellow, “But I need ya to start by putting the idea of shatterin’ behind ya. We don’t do that here. And you can be angry, we all are at times, but there’s no need to storm off like that.”

Yellow just gave a shaky huff in return.

“If ya need some time I’ll give it to ya, but-... but we expect you back on that hill to continue training.” Ame stood up and moved towards the exit.

“Ya got me?” Ame asked right before leaving.

There was no response. Yellow sat there, more slumped over than anyone had ever seen her. She stared into the floor. She refused to respond. She wouldn’t give in. She was too frustrated, too angry, but most of all she was right. She knew she was, she had to be.

Ame left the tent. She climbed back up the hill to her fellow generals, defeated. They looked at her, all asking a silent question. Ame shook her head.

Peach blew a smoke ring, “From what I can foresee, I can safely say, it’s gonna be a long week.”